Main Course

Majjige HuLi

Majjige HuLi is most favorite to people of Bengaluru/ Mysoru. It is very tasty, simple, easy to prepare dish made of single vegetable with yogurt and gravy. It goes really well with rice, muddhe or nuchinunde. We can prepare this dish with a variety of vegetables, like bendekai/ okra, seemebadhnekai/Chayote, boodhkumbaLakai /Ash gourd,  dantina soppu/Amaranthus , thondekai/Tindora. Today I prepared it with dantina soppu/Amaranthus.

Ingredients:

Yogurt/majjige- 1 1/2 to 2 cups

Channa dal– 2 Tbsp( soaked in water for an hour)

Shredded coconut- 1 cup

Green chillies/ Jalapenos -5 to 6 depending on your spice level

Coriander/ Cilantro– 4 to 5 strands

Ginger- 1″ peice

Mustard seeds– 1/4 tsp +1/2 tsp for seasoning

Cumin seeds– 3/4  tsp

Curry leaves– 2 strands

Turmeric- 1/4 tsp

Dantina soppu/ Amarathus- 1 bunch (chopped)

Oil- for seasoning

Salt- to taste

Preparation:

In a vessel,  heat  a glass of water and add the chopped leaves, let it cook for few minutes until tender (add little salt while the leaves are cooking). Meanwhile grind coconut, green chillies, coriander, ginger, turmeric, cumin seeds , 1/4 tsp of mustard seeds and channa dal with little water. Grind to a fine paste. Add the ground mixture to the cooked leaves. Cook till the raw smell goes away (approximately for 8- 10 minutes). Add the yogurt/majjige at the end and mix well.  Add more salt if needed.

For seasoning- Heat 2 tbsp of oil, add 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds and curry leaves. Allow the mustard seeds to splutter.  Add the seasoning on top the majjige huLi and its ready to serve.

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Breakfast

Nuchinunde (Steamed lentil dumplings)

Ingredients :

Tuvar/Toor dal-1 cup

Channa dal-1 cup

Chopped green chillies/jalapenos- 8 to 10 or add according to your spice level

Shredded coconut-3/4  cup

Chopped onions- medium size 2

Chopped Curry leaves- 1 strand

Chopped cilantro/coriander- 2 to 3 strands

Minced ginger- 1/2 inch piece

Eno salt-1/4 teaspoon (optional)

Salt- to taste

Soak both toor and channa dal overnight or two hours before making the dumplings. Grind all the above ingredients coarsely except onions. Grind the mixture without adding water. Mix salt, onions and ground mixture well. Make dumplings of your desired shape and steam cook them for 10 mins. Do not forget to add ghee or clarified butter on top of the steamed dumplings before serving.

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Side dish

Vegetable Junka

Ingredients:

Beans-250gms
Carrot-250gms
Peas-100gms
Potato-1meduim size
Green chilies/Jalapenos-5
Turmeric-1/4 tsp
Mustard-1/4 tsp
Oil-2 tbsp
Gram flour-3 tbsp
Coriander/Cilantro-2to3 strands
Salt-to taste

Preparation:

Cut all the vegetables in equal proportion. Chop coriander leaves, green chilies finely. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter. Add turmeric, green chilies and fry for few seconds, now add all the cut vegetables. Cover the pan with a lid and allow the vegetables to become tender, also add salt so it mixes evenly with vegetables. Meanwhile mix the gram flour with water and make a semi liquid batter. Add the batter to the vegetables once it’s cooked. Boil the mixture for few minutes until the raw smell of gram flour disappears (approx 7-8 minutes). Garnish with cilantro/coriander and enjoy it with chapathi or poori.

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Appetizers/Snacks

Goli Bajji

Ingredients:

All purpose flour/maida- 1 cup

Sour yogurt/curds- 1/2 cup

Green chillies- 2-3 chopped

Thinly sliced, small cut coconut pieces- 2 tsp (optional)

Curry leaves– few

Cumin seeds– 1/2 tsp

Sugar- A pinch

Salt- To taste

Oil- For frying

Preparation:

Mix all the above listed ingredients in a bowl until the batter is really smooth. Mix well for at least 5 minutes. Allow the batter to ferment for 2-3 hours. If you do not wish to wait for 2-3 hours, you can use cooking soda too.  If using so, mix the batter with 1/2 tsp soda and rest the batter for half an hour. The consistency of the batter should not be very thick, it should be of dropping consistency.

Heat Oil in a frying pan. Wet your hand in water, so that the batter do not stick to your palm. Make small dumplings and drop them in oil and fry it in medium low flame.  Bajjis will be ready when they turn golden brown. Serve the bajji’s with coconut chutney which is the ultimate combination according to me :).

Note:  Keep yogurt/curds in room temperature for 1-2 days to make it really sour.

We can also make bajjis, just by mixing maida, curds and salt.

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Appetizers/Snacks

Guacamole

Ingredients:

Ripe avocados- 2

Tomatoes–  1

Onion–  1

Cilantro– 1/2 cup

Jalapeños– 2 to 3

Garlic cloves- 3 to 4

Lemon -1

Oregano powder- 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Preparation:

Finley chop tomatoes, onions, cilantro and keep aside. Mince garlic cloves and jalapeños. Mash the avocados coarsely.  Add all the chopped ingredients, lemon juice, oregano and salt. Mix well and serve with tortilla chips.

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Desserts/Sweets

Rasmalai

I am also sending this Bengali sweet to PJ http://seduceyourtastebuds.blogspot.com/2010/11/announcing-celebrate-sweets.html who is hosting this event  which was started by Nivedita from Nivedita’s kitchen http://niveditaskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/09/details-of-event-celebrate-sweets.html.

Whole milk or 2% reduced fat milk – 16 cups (8cups for paneer + 8 cups for making Ras)

Lemon- ¼ cup

Sugar-2½ cups for cooking paneer and ¾ cup for making Ras

Crushed Cardamom-½ tsp

Saffron – 8 to 10 strands

Cheese cloth/muslin cloth

Pistachios, almonds sliced- ½ tsp

Water-1.2 liters

*Sugar needs to be adjusted according to individuals taste.

Preparation:

To make Paneer:

Bring 8 cups of milk to boil.  Use a heavy bottom pan so as to avoid burning of the milk. Cook on medium heat.

Stir occasionally, once the milk comes to boil dilute ¼ cup of  lemon juice in little water and add slowly into the milk and stir the content.

Milk starts curdling. Turn off the heat when paneer gets separated from the whey and strain the whey from paneer using a cheese cloth or muslin cloth.

Run cold water under paneer for few minutes and remove excess of water by squeezing gently.

Tie the muslin cloth/ cheese cloth tightly so as to remove all the water content and hang it for an hour for the moisture to drain.

Make sure to remove as much as water as you can. To check if the paneer is ready, take a small piece and rub it with your palm, it should not stick to your palm and you should be able to make a smooth ball. This is the most critical step in making rasgullas or rasmalais. Remove the paneer from the cloth and knead softly, make it into round balls and flatten them slightly.

You can make approximately around 12 Rasmalais.

To cook the paneer:

Add 1.2L  of water into the pressure cooker and 2½ cups of sugar. Heat it until all sugar dissolves and allow it to boil for 3-4 minutes. Add the paneer and pressure cook for 9-10 minutes. Make sure there is enough space for the paneer to bloat. Once cooked, the paneer doubles in size. Remove them from sugar syrup and squeeze them gently. Remove as much water as you can. Keep them aside.

To make Rasmalai:

Heat 8 cups of milk in a thick bottomed pan. Keep the heat on medium and cook till the milk reduces to half. Keep stirring occasionally to make sure you do not burn the milk.  Add ¾ cup sugar and cook till sugar is dissolved. Add saffron strands and crushed cardamom into the milk. Now it’s time to add the cooked paneer. Mix them well making sure not to break any of the paneer. Turn off the heat and let it cool for some time. Refrigerate and serve it chilled! Before serving garnish it with some sliced pistachios and almonds …..

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Desserts/Sweets

Rasgulla

I am sending this Bengali sweet to PJ http://seduceyourtastebuds.blogspot.com/2010/11/announcing-celebrate-sweets.html who is hosting this event  which was started by Nivedita from Nivedita’s kitchen http://niveditaskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/09/details-of-event-celebrate-sweets.html

 

 

Ingredients:

Whole milk or 2% reduced fat milk -8cups

Lemon Juice– ¼ cup

Sugar-2½ cups

Cheese cloth/muslin cloth

Water-61/2 cups

*Sugar needs to be adjusted according to individuals taste.

To make Paneer:

Bring 8 cups of milk to boil.  Use a heavy bottom pan so as to avoid burning of the milk. Cook on medium heat.

Stir occasionally, once the milk comes to boil dilute ¼ cup of  lemon juice in little water and add slowly into the milk and stir the content.

Milk starts curdling. Turn off the heat when paneer gets separated from the whey and strain the whey from paneer using a cheese cloth or muslin cloth.

Run cold water under paneer for few minutes and remove excess of water by squeezing gently.

Tie the muslin cloth/ cheese cloth tightly so as to remove all the water content and hang it for an hour for the moisture to drain.

Make sure to remove as much as water as you can. To check if the paneer is ready, take a small piece and rub it with your palm, it should not stick to your palm and you should be able to make a smooth ball. This is the most critical step in making rasgullas or rasmalais. Remove the paneer from the cloth and knead softly, make it into round balls.

To make Rasgullas:

Add 61/2 cups  of water into the pressure cooker and 2½ cups of sugar. Heat it until all sugar dissolves and allow it to boil for 3-4 minutes. Add the paneer and pressure cook for 9-10 minutes.

Make sure there is enough space for the paneer to bloat. Once cooked, the paneer doubles in size.

Cool them down and refrigerate for few hours before serving.

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Main Course

Pesto Pasta

Ingredients:

Pasta- ½ pound (Any type)

Button mushroom– 2 oz (or small can)

Extra virgin olive oil– 2 tsp

Ingredients to make Pesto sauce:

Basil leaves- 2 cups packed leaves

Pine nuts– ¼ cup

Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese – ½ cup (grated)

Extra virgin olive oil- 2/3 cup

Salt and pepper – for seasoning

Preparation:

To make pesto sauce:

Blend basil leaves and pine nuts coarsely in a food processor or blender. Add in olive oil slowly until it mixes well. Pour the sauce in a container and add the cheese and mix well. Add salt and pepper as per your need.

The pesto sauce can be stored as prepared for up to a week in the refrigerator. If you are planning to store the sauce for a longer time, store it without adding cheese. Apparently, if you top the sauce with olive oil and store it in the freezer, the sauce will be good up to three months.

To make the pasta:

Cook the pasta as per the instructions given on the pack. Add mushrooms 5 minutes before the pasta is cooked. Drain and run cold water on the pasta to prevent it from sticking.

Heat 2 tsp of olive oil in a pan, add the pasta and mushrooms and stir well for few minutes. Add 2-3 tbsp of pesto sauce and mix well.

Do not heat the pasta too long after adding the sauce. Mix well and serve immediately!

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Chaat

Corn chaat

Ingredients:

Corn kernels- 2 cups (cooked, canned or frozen, if  frozen make sure to cook according to the instructions on the package and cool it completely before using them in the chat)

Tomato- 1 chopped

Onion- 1 chopped

Coriander/cilantro- 8 to 9 strands chopped

Sev- 0 size, ½ cup

Spicy roasted peanuts- ¼ cup (optional)

Juice of half lemon

Red chilli powder– ¼ tsp

Chaat masala- ¼ tsp

Salt – To taste

Preparation:

Mix all the above ingredients in a bowl except sev.  Sprinkle sev just before serving, so that it remains crisp and crunchy.

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